ABC Gippsland / Bec Symons
The renewables industry has exploded in Victoria, with ambitious energy targets set by the state government and an abundance of job opportunities in the fledgling sector to be realised.
Gippsland, in south-eastern Victoria, has been touted as the golden child of the renewable energy industry.
The region has windy seas, extensive land resources, and existing grid infrastructure in the Latrobe Valley thanks to its coal mining legacy.
Thousands of jobs are set to be created during both construction and operational phases in the switch to renewable energies.
But in a job market crying out for people to fill 86,000 vacancies in rural and regional Australia, doubt remains on the ability to fill roles in the new industry.
In Australia, the labour force participation rate sits at 67 per cent, while in Gippsland, the rate is lower, varying between local government areas.
